Are We Alone? Scientists Search for Life in Space - Hardcover

Gloria Skurzynski has written more than 30 children’s books. Her nonfiction book, Almost the Real Thing, won the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award. She has written several nonfiction books for National Geographic including Are We Alone, an NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book for Young People and an IRA/CBC Young Adults’ Choice for 2006. She lives in Boise, ID. Visit Gloria Skurzynski at her Web site: www.gloriabooks.com.

Starred Review. Grade 5-7–The age-old question in this title is answered here in a scientific and satisfying manner. Reports of UFOs, alien crashes, and crop circles are not ignored, but a healthy skepticism is encouraged. The chapters that follow describe the efforts modern scientists are making to find, identify, and communicate with life on other planets. Studies and experiments being conducted to discover exactly what conditions are absolutely necessary for life to arise are also presented as part of the overall investigation. Considerable attention is given to existing and planned means of detecting life and intelligent beings. The interconnectedness of the many scientific disciplines discussed is made clear. The well-presented text and beautifully designed format make the book interesting as well as entertaining. A full-page, full-bleed color photograph or illustration faces each new chapter beginning. A generous number of additional color photographs and illustrations appear throughout. Sidebars profile scientists working with SETI's Phoenix Project as well as other scientific and educational agencies. Their own words invariably express the lifelong passion they feel for their work, and their specific endeavors are described in the main text. Enticing works on aliens, UFOs, and alien abductions abound. There are also some excellent books with a narrower focus such as Ellen Jackson's Looking for Life in the Universe (Houghton, 2002), which concentrates on Jill Tarter, head of the Phoenix Project. No other title on this topic weaves together the work of so many disciplines so seamlessly.–Ann G. Brouse, Steele Memorial Library, Elmira, NY
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